9 great cameras for travelers

By Natasha Stokes, for CNN

Updated 1:49 PM ET, Thu February 20, 2014

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Best camera for wildlife and sports – Fujifilm FinePix HS50EXR. This is a superzoom (bridge) camera with a fixed-lens that can zoom up to 42x and shoot in burst mode at 11 frames per second -- so you're covered whether you're shooting a safari or capturing the running of the bulls.

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Best underwater camera – Olympus Tough TG-2. The TG-2 is a pocket cam with a tough exterior that's waterproof to 15 meters, crush-proof to 100 kilos and freeze-proof down to -10C.

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Best budget camera – Panasonic TZ40. A compact camera with one of the longest optical zooms around, the TZ40 also has a wide lens for great landscape photos as well as detailed shots of the far distance. On burst mode, it can score up to 10 frames per second.

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Best second camera – Fujifilm F900 EXR. Photographers who use a DSLR will appreciate this pocket cam that shoots in RAW, allowing full editing with photo software. Auto modes are supplemented by a full manual mode.

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Ultimate point-and-shoot – Sony Cybershot RX100 II. Image quality is often sacrificed for portability in the case of point-and-shoots but the Cybershot RX100 II is one of the best of a new trend -- compact cameras with bigger sensors. Its hot-shoe interface can take an add-on shutter release controller, handy for long exposures.

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Best camera for beginners – Nikon S9500. With no manual modes but a range of capable auto scene modes, the S9500 is a good choice for novice photographers looking for a Wi-Fi camera and a powerful zoom. Built-in filters let you add Instagram-esque colors to photos.

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Most portable DSLR – Nikon D3200. Still one of the smallest, lightest DSLR cameras available more than a year after its launch, the Nikon D3200 is an entry-level camera. If you intend to print your travel photos, this camera is a reasonably priced and travel-friendly step into the world of DSLRs.

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Best all-rounder #1 – Panasonic GX7. The GX7 is heavier than a point-and-shoot but packs a sensor as large as those of DSLRs.A silent mode is great for keeping street photography discreet, while a chunky hand grip lends more stability.

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Best all-rounder #2 – Sony Alpha 7. Another mirrorless camera, the recently released Alpha 7 is the first compact camera to be built with a full-frame sensor -- one as large as the sensors in the high-end DSLRs -- yet it manages it in a chassis that weighs in at 400g.

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Story highlights

Your choice of camera should be dictated by your choice of travels

Small cameras often have small sensors, and are best for well-lit locations

Big cameras are a pain to carry, but give the best results for outdoor shots

Smartphones may be convenient, but they'll undermine your quest for a great photo

Historically, traveling photographers have had to choose between portability and image quality in their cameras.

No more.

Point-and-shoot cameras now have optical zooms to rival Pinocchio's nose, while full-featured DSLR cameras are getting smaller and lighter.

Many cameras now manage large lenses as well as pocket-sized chassis.

But with such a wide choice of cameras, how do you choose?

We recruited Nigel Atherton, editor of the UK-based magazine What Digital Camera, and travel photographer Gary Arndt to find out what travel snappers should look for in a camera, and which cameras to consider.

Sensor size

The first specification to consider is the size of the lens sensor.

Along with megapixel count, this dictates general image quality as well as the camera's performance in low light, for example inside churches, night markets or in twilight along the Seine.

"Small sensors such as those in pocket cameras have very small pixels, which means they don't collect as much light," says Nigel Atherton, editor of the UK-based magazine What Digital Camera.

In other words, a 16-megapixel lens on a large-sensor camera like a DSLR captures far more details and better colors than the equivalent lens on a camera with a small sensor.

In that case, the camera has to electronically amplify the details it captures -- which is what causes blurriness when you view the photos on a bigger screen.

If the final destination for your photos is Facebook, sensor size may not be as crucial as portability.

Portability

"The important thing is that the camera isn't too big and heavy, and that you have a good zoom range for both wide-angle and telephoto shots," Atherton says.

A good bet would be a slim, light pocket camera with a decent optical zoom built in; for example, the Nikon Coolpix S9500 zooms to 22x.

But if zoom is important -- say you're planning on sports or wildlife photography, where you can't get any closer than 15 meters -- you may want to consider a superzoom camera (also known as a bridge camera).

Zoom and shutter speed

"These are very popular for travel as they are light, but built with a telephoto lens that can zoom up to 60 times," Atherton says.

For action or crowd shots, shutter speed or burst mode is a key factor.

"When dealing with anything that's active -- wildlife or people in action on the street -- faces change in a fraction of second," says travel photographer Gary Arndt.

"So a fast burst mode is helpful in shooting the several hundred photos you might need to get that single winning shot."

Arndt recommends adding a small tripod known as a gorilla pod to help stabilize tiny point-and-shoot cameras when they're on maximum zoom.

Viewfinder vs. LCD

If you're heading for sun and surf vacations, cameras with a viewfinder are best.

LCD displays can be hard to read in sunlight.

Point-and-shoot cameras don't normally have viewfinders, though some, such as the Samsung NX210, support the addition of a separate viewfinder.

Battery life

Battery life is a big deal.

Something that can shoot (and check) around 400 shots to last you a full day should suffice.

"Or bring a spare battery," says Atherton.

Wi-Fi and GPS

Wi-Fi and GPS support are important if you want to tag images with the location -- handy when those Thai islands merge into one never-ending beach.

Wi-Fi allows you to backup photos to an online server such as Facebook or Dropbox.

"By the time you sit down in the piazza for a coffee, they're already in your phone, ready to be uploaded. And if your camera gets stolen, at least you haven't lost the pictures."

Forget the phone

As for the truism about the best camera being the one you've got with you -- namely the smartphone, for most of us -- most new cameras offer sensors far superior to all but the top-end phones.

For any photograph requiring a zoom, a dedicated camera is a must.

"It's true that cameras costing under $330 are competing at the same level as smartphones," says Atherton. "But over that, there's a clear advantage that you'll especially notice for low light shots."

Best camera for wildlife and sports

Best way to shoot a lion.

Fujifilm Finepix HS50EXR ($663)

This is a superzoom (bridge) camera with a fixed-lens that can zoom up to 42x and shoot in burst mode at 11 frames per second -- so you're covered whether you're shooting a safari or capturing the running of the bulls.

A comfortable hand grip minimizes shake even when the lens is on maximum zoom.

Portability: Though the camera is shaped and styled like a large DSLR camera, it's far lighter.

Without the need for extra lenses, your camera bag will be less bulky too.

Zoom: The 16-megapixel lens and 42x zoom are perfect for faraway photography.